Instagram to add support mechanisms for eating disorders 

  • Instagram has announced that its adding resources for people affected by eating disorders to its social platform 
  • If users search for hashtags or content that’s potentially related to disordered eating, the company will guide that user to resources or help lines provided by the National Eating Disorders Association (or NEDA) in the US, as well as others in the UK, Australia, and Canada 
  • Instagram says that currently, it tries to blur out potentially triggering content in search results, and it does direct people to generalized crisis support, but it should now direct users to resources specifically designed around eating disorders 
  • In its blog, Instagram also says that it plans to show the resources if someone is trying to share eating disorder-related content, or “if a friend is concerned about something they see posted and wants to offer support.” 
  • For the full story, select here 
  • To learn more about eating disorders within the context of Covid-19, select here

     

    WhatsApp will switch of messages for users who do not accept latest terms and conditions 

    • WhatsApp users who do not accept its updated terms and conditions by the 15 May deadline will be unable to receive or send messages until they do so 
    • Their account will be listed as “inactive”. Inactive accounts can be deleted after 120 days 
    • WhatsApp announced the update in January to which there was a backlash among many users who thought it meant the company was planning to change the amount of data it shared with its parent company, Facebook 
    • It later clarified that this was not the case – the update is aimed at enabling payments to be made to businesses
    • To learn more about WhatsApp’s latest updates – read our recent article here 
    • For the full story, select here 

      Clubhouse confirms data spill  

          • Audio-only social network iPhone app Clubhouse has confirmed that it experienced a data spill on Sunday 
          • The app allows users to join and participate in pop-up public or private audio chatrooms, promising that conversations are not recorded and have to be experienced live 
          • But US cyber-security researchers tweeted that a user had found a way to stream audio to another website 
          • Clubhouse confirmed the spill to Bloomberg, saying it banned the user
          • The app firm said it had installed new “safeguards” to prevent conversations from being streamed again 
          • For the full story, select here 

             

            Entire school board resigns after accidental public livestream 

            • An entire California school board has resigned after making disparaging remarks about families in an online meeting which they did not realise was being publicly live-streamed 
            • The Board President said parents outraged about Covid restrictions just wanted the school to act as “babysitters”, another member joked that some parents wanted to take drugs while their children were not at home 
            • Parents, however, had been joining the public call as it progressed until one member realised, after which it immediately turned private 
            • Two days after the meeting, the entire board resigned, according to the Oakley Union Elementary School District Superintendent, who had also been on the call
            • For the full story, select here